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Be Like Janus: "Think Something Different"

So here we are in January, named after the two-faced Roman god Janus, who in their mythology was the god of gates and doors, and beginnings and endings.

I believe that Janus's double-faced nature also symbolizes much of what goes on when we engage in creative thinking, that is, seeing something in more than one way. I love how the Nobel prize winning physician Albert Szent-Gyorgyi describes creative discovery:

When we tap into our "Janus-like" powers, it's as though we use one head to "look at the same thing as everyone else," and the other head to be creative and "think something different."

When we think like Janus, we take something out of a familiar context and then think about it in other contexts so that it takes on fresh new meanings. Human beings have been using their imaginations in this way since the beginning.

The first person to look at an oyster and think "food" did this.

So did the first person to look at a ship's sail and think "windmill."

As did the first person to look at sheep intestines and think "guitar strings."

And the first person to look at a perfume vaporizer and think "gasoline carburetor."

And the first person to look at baby's urea and think "skin moisturizer."

And the first person to look at a trapeze safety net and think "trampoline."

Do you have these Janus-like powers? Well, if you've ever used a pen as a weapon, or a potato as a radio antenna, or a T-shirt as a tourniquet, or a telephone book as a booster seat, then the answer is a resounding "Yes!"

So, this month, every time you see or hear the word "January," think to yourself:

Ah ... now it all begins to make sense. I'm a January baby and have always seen things differently than others around me. Being a native North Dakotan, I even had someone once ask me where I was from after I'd introduced myself at a coffee shop because I couldn't possibly be from North Dakota. North Dakotans just aren't that bold, he said. Hmmmm... maybe he needs a different view of North Dakotans.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and your creativity with the blogosphere, Roger!

I have enjoyed following your blogging efforts for the past three months. I feel people often look at creativity as an abstract notion. It is in fact a skill that can be honed and improved upon. You are a good teacher of this.

Judging from your swimming and Ohio State football posts, I assume you are a sports fan. It was fun watching a much lesser known Boise State team beat a historical predominant Oklahoma team. Boise State successfully completed an assembly of trick plays in the end of regulation and overtime to stun Oklahoma.

It's always fun to see how creativity is applied in unconventional fields. If you feel so inspired, I would love to see a post on creativity and innovation in sports, of course only if you feel inspired.

MacGyver, the all-time most creative character on TV, was played by Richard Dean Anderson. He did use a pen as a weapon, and a potato as a radio antenna. (I'm not sure about the urea skin moisturizer...) He was born on 23 January 1950.